Absorbent roll and method of producing same



De@ 25, 1934. E. R. NELSON ET Al. 1,985,657 A ABSORBENT ROLL AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed Jur`1e- 17, 1952 Patented Dec. v25, .1934

UNITED --sTATEs www ABSORBENT ROLL AND METHOD F PRODUCING SAIHE Emanuel R. Nelson, Glendale, and Nat Thompson, t

Eagle Rock, C

ahf., assignors, by'direct and mesne assignments, to Johnson and Johnson, a corporation oi' New Jersey Application June 17, .1932, Serial No. 617,746

1 Claim.

Our invention relates to an absorbent roll and methodof producing saine and has for its principal object, the provision of a relatively simple, practical and inexpensive roll or pad that is composed of brous absorbent material such as cellulose, cotton or the like and which roll is especially adapted for use during dental operations, for the purpose of absorbing saliva and preventing the same from'reaching that particul0 lar area of the patients mouth that'is being operated upon.

A further object of o ur invention is, to provideA a relatively simple, inexpensive and easily practiced method for producing the absorbent rolls l5. in elongated or practically continuous sections that maybe conveniently packed or stored in suitable containers and cut off by the dentist in sections of usable length.

A further object of our invention is, to provide wherein a substantially cylindrical body of highly absorbent cellulosic material is enclosed within a casing or wrapper of fabric, .preferably gauze and which casing is provided with internally arranged projectingl portions that engage and intermingle with the fibers of the cellulosic ller,

so as to eifectually prevent relative longitudinal movement between the ller and casing when the absorbent roll is cut off in sections and used 30 by the dentist for absorbing saliva during dental operations and treatment.

With the foregoing and other objects in view our invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and Villustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an absorbent roll embodying our invention and constructed in ac- 40 ordance with our method.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a. short section of the fibrous or cellulosic body that forms the filler of the roll.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the fabric casing or wrapper ofthe roll before the ller has been inserted therein. j Y

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view partly in section 50 of a relatively' simple form of'apparatus that may be used in practicing our improved method. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged .cross section taken on i the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

an absorbent roll of the character referred to,

The absorbent roll vproduced in accordance with our improved method comprises a. ller body l0 of highly absorbent Iibrous cellulosic material, which body is slightly. compressed and givenv a cylindrical shape and after so-shaped the cylin- 5 drical ller is inserted into a tubular casing or jacket 11 of fabric, preferably gauze, and which latter hasbeen treated so as to render it antiseptic. f

In the production of our 'improved roll, a rela- 10 tively narrow strip of iibrous cellulosic material as illustrated in Fig. 1 is stitched lengthwise on a medial line as` designated by 12 and this row of stitching, which is relatively loose, serves as a binder for the fiber of thestrip and prevents l5 said strip from disintegratng or spreading whilebeing handled, shaped and inserted in the fabric tube that forms the casingof the roll.

This stripv of cellulosic material, after being loosely stitched lengthwise asl just described, passes through a 'former`13 that` rolls the edges of the strip inwardly towardeach other so as to give the strip cylindrical shape as designated by 14. j

An elongatedstrip of "fabric`,`preferably` gauze, and whichvis mounted on a" suitable' support 15, preferably a spool," passes 'through a, guidel, and by said guide, the strip ofgauze is caused to assume a substantially tubular form so as to 'enclose a tube 17 that extends through said guide. 30

After passing through the guide 16 and onto the end of the tube 17 that projects into said guide, the edges of the gauze are brought together and by means of a thread carrying needle 18, the projecting edges of the gauze are stitched to each other, thus forming a tube of gauze with the edges thereof projecting beyond the line of stitching.

The gauze tube now enters the end of tube 17 and moves lengthwise therethrough in a direc- 40 tion opposite to the direction in which the gauze moves through the guide 16 and thus the gauze tube is turned inside out.

In practice we prefer to locate the end of 4tube 17 adjacent to the discharge end of former 13 45 so that the cylindrical body of cellulosic material emerges from the end of the former and passes directly into the gauze tube 'as the latter drawn through tube 17.

The edges of the striprof gauze used in forming the tube, project inwardly when the gauze tube is turned inside out, as just described, so that the projecting ends of the threads along'A said edges will engage and intermingle with the fibres in the cellulosic ller that pases into said ilo gauze tube and as a result of this intermingling engagement, the gauze casing or wrapper and the iiller of cellulosic material are prevented from readily moving lengthwise relative to each other while being handled or cut into sections` and while positioned within a patient's mouth during dental operations.

In this connection it will be understood that the gauze is loosely woven from threads of vegetable fiber preferably cotton and that said threads have a much greater degree of stiffness and resiliency than the fibers of the cellulosic filler and as a result of this difference in stiness and resiliency, the ends of the threads along the edges of the gauze strip will press into and enter the body of the cellulosic filler so as to commingle with the fibers thereof.

After emerging from the tube 17, the roll composed of the filler body of cellulosic material enclosed within the casingof gauze, passes onto the overrunning portion of a belt 19 that is mounted for operation on pulleys 20 and the width of -which belt is approximately equal to the circumference of the roll.

rl'he overrunning portion of belt 19 4passes through a longitudinally disposed tube 21, and in so doing the side portions of theA belt are caused to ex upwardly so as to practically enclose the roll that is carried by said belt and this action of causing the belt to surround the roll slightly compresses the same so that the diameter of the finished roll after passing of! the belt is slightly less than the diameter of the roll that is formed in tube 17.

Other forms of apparatus may be utilized for producing the absorbent roll in accordance with our method, but tests and experiments have proven that excellent results and a satisfactory product may be produced by the use of an apparatus such as is herein illustrated and described, for with such apparatus, practically continuous lengths of rolls may be rapidly and economically produced and the rolls, after discharging from the belt 19, may be packed in suitable containers for .distribution and use.

In some instances it may be found desirable to cut the elongated roll as it comes from the forming apparatus, into sections of `suitable length and which sections may be suitably packed for delivery directly to the-dentists or to the persons using the absorbent rolls in their work.

Absorbent rolls constructed in accordance with our improved method and made in larger sizes may be advantageously employed as surgical dressings. y

` i The 'friction' between the overrunning portion of belt 19 and the enclosed roll is suilicient to unwind the strip of gauze from its spool or support and to draw said gauze strip through the guide 16 and thence in the reverse direction through tube 17 and -to also pull the fliler of cellulosic material through the former 13 into the gauze tube, as the latter is tiu'ned inside out.

While we have referred to the casing 11 as being formed of fabric such as gauze, it will be understood that our invention contemplates any other suitable casing of soft, flexible absorbent material, either knit or braided.

Thus it win be seen that we have provided a relatively simple and easily practiced method for producing an absorbent dental roll that is composed of a flller of cellulosic material, enclosed within a casing of fabric and the body of the filler being stitched lengthwise to maintain the bers in said body in proper position and portions of the filler and the fabric casing being intermingled so as to prevent relative longitudinal movement between said filler and casing while the roll is being cut into sections and while the sections are positioned in the patient's mouth.

We claim as our invention:

The herein described method of forming an absorbent roll, consisting in'delivering a sheet of fabric from a source of supply, shaping such sheet into a tubular form while the sheetis moving in one. direction, reversing the direction of travel of the tubular form to turn the same inside out, forming aroll of absorbent material immediately adjacent the point of reversal of the tubular form with the diameter of the roll approximating the diameter of the reversed'tubular form, delivering the roll into the reversed form, and subjecting the Vcombined roll and form to a compressive shaping and feeding pressure, 4I

to compress the completed article in desired shape.

- EMANUELR.NEISON.

NAT THOMPSON. 

